Assistant Director of Network Reentry Capacity Building

Innocence Project•New York, NY

22d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Innocence Network is an affiliation of over 70 independent nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and public defender’s offices that is dedicated to exonerating wrongfully convicted people and reforming the criminal justice system to avoid future injustice. The Innocence Network member organizations vary in the size, budget, and number of cases they can investigate, and most primarily represent clients in the state in which they work. The Network Support Unit (NSU), a department within the Innocence Project, works to strengthen the Innocence Network and its member organizations to achieve breakthrough results in addressing and preventing wrongful conviction. The Assistant Director will join the Network Support Unit to bring expertise in trauma-informed care, organizational development, and systems-level thinking, with a strong commitment to centering directly impacted people in all aspects of their work. They will create and maintain resources, cultivate and build partnerships with national organizations and strengthen support for freed and exonerated individuals. The Assistant Director will report to and carry out strategic work under the guidance of the Director, Innocence Network Support and work collaboratively with the staff at the Innocence Project and the Innocence Network. The duties of this position require approximately 40 hours of work per week to be performed virtually/in-office and roughly 20% travel. We currently have a hybrid in-office model, with all employees in the office three days per week and the remainder of the week remotely. Wednesday is our organization’s “anchor day” where all staff works in the office. The number of required in-office days is subject to change.

Requirements

Social Work degree required, plus at least 7 years prior experience working with and building programs for people who have experienced trauma and/or who have been impacted by the criminal legal system;
Or at least 9 years of a combination of reentry, lived, and/or other professional experience and background relevant to the role working with and building programs for people who have experienced trauma and/or who have been impacted by the criminal legal system
Demonstrated experience in group facilitation methods with the ability to facilitate inclusive, participatory, and effective group processes with individuals from varied backgrounds
Experience working with cross-functional teams or community partners to co-create research and insights that reflect multiple perspectives and lived experiences, informing strategy and decision-making
Strong research and analytical skills, with experience evaluating and comparing program models to recommend strategic, effective, and scalable approaches
Must be legally authorized to work in the U.S.

Nice To Haves

Individuals with lived experience of incarceration are strongly encouraged to apply
Forensic social workers are strongly encouraged to apply

Responsibilities

Network Member Organization Capacity and Resource Building
Develop and maintain strong, trusting relationships with staff across all roles within Network Member Organizations (NMOs); for organizations without formal client support roles, proactively engage to ensure staff feel connected, supported, and confident to engage, recognizing that impact may vary by context.
Help break down the needs of clients and triage the reentry program needs of Network Member Organizations (NMOs)
Vet, develop, and maintain a resource library of recommended service providers for use by NMOs
Develop and facilitate programming for the freed/exonerated community and NMO staff on topics related to cultural competence, trauma-informed practices, restorative justice, storytelling, etc.
Develop and maintain best practices guides and resources that are informed by the needs of and support Network Member Organizations (NMOs). Topics may include:
foundational guidance for client support
resources for building-up client support programs
resources to support NMO staff who are providing post-release support
client-centered and trauma-informed best practices guide for hiring and supervising directly impacted staff
Strategy & Knowledge Development
Stay informed on emerging research, resources, and data related to client support, trauma, and reentry; regularly synthesize and share relevant insights across the Network
Conduct ongoing landscape analyses of different models of post-release support to identify best practices and, in collaboration with the Director, Innocence Network Support Unit, recommend structures adaptable to Network organizations
Community and Stakeholder Engagement
Facilitate regular convenings of client support staff and freed/exonerated individuals - building on existing gatherings such as regional summits - to deepen collaboration, share best practices, and strengthen community and peer support across the Network
Support content development at the Innocence Network Conference for freed/exonerated attendees and advise the planning team on trauma-informed event planning practices;
Monitor areas where freed/exonerated individuals are not yet served by Network Member Organizations (NMOs) and identify opportunities to expand or enhance support services
Engage regularly with the Innocence Network governance bodies to ensure strategic alignment and strengthen coordination across the Network
External Partnership Engagement
Support and grow the impact of existing external partnerships with national and local organizations to expand post-release resources for freed and exonerated people
Provide ongoing education for external partners on the unique needs and challenges of the freed and exonerated community, to potentially include workshops, webinars, toolkits, etc.